Tandem Wakesurfing w/kid...How to?

[murphini]

Looking for advice on HOW TO surf with a kid on the wakesurf board with you like I've seen in pix. We'll be out this summer with my nieces/nephews who are aged 6-9, weigh 40-65#, and I'd like to get an idea on how to surf with them to teach them.

I can easily get up on wakesurf board, but am curious on how to get up with another person on the board. All the kids are coordinated (gymnastics), but none have waterskiied or wakeboarded yet.

Questions:
1. In the water before starting, do you have them just put their feet on the board while basically sitting on your lap while waiting in for the boat to start?

2. Where do they hold onto you during the transition from water to standing up? Do you have them hold backwards around your legs?

3. I have a board rated to 240#, so our combined weight will probably be at limit if not over....so is it safe to hold onto rope with 2 people on board?

4. We have 24ve and just put a ballast system w/Enzo bags so I should have enough wavepower to get us going.

5. Any other tricks/suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

[Booms]

I have my sons and nephew do it all the time. The hardest is my nephew. He is 8 yrs old and weighs in at 90 lbs. I have him sitting on my lap while in the water. We start with both of our feet on the board and him lightly holding onto the rope. When the boat starts that was the hardest part becuase I was doing all the work. I have a big wake and I could not let go of the rope. I had us on our Blue Lake and there was no where near enough to keep us going with out the rope. It was also hard to get my feet in the correct position. When you are starting to get up get out of the wake as soon as possible. With an extra 40 to 80 pounds of kid on the board it is hard to carve. The lighter the kid the better. My 5 yr old only weighs in @ 45 pounds and we can surf with slack in the rope.
This is the summer I teach them to ride solo!!

[Guapo]

What we've done (for 4,5 and 8 year old) is to have them in the water facing the surfer with arms wrapped around the adults neck and legs wrapped around the waist. Pull out of the water like normal and once up and in position (still with the rope), let them slide down to the board, then turn around. Other ways may be easier...don't really know. It just seemed for the younger ones they felt more secure wrapping their arms and legs around you when pulling them up. It worked great for us.

The picture below is of my brother-in-law (about 180# or so) and my 8 yr old (about 65 or 70#). They were able to ride without the rope with no problems. I rode with my 5 year old daughter (about 45#) and couldn't free ride (I'm about 210#)....too much combined weight.

[Matt Garcia]

Looking for advice on HOW TO surf with a kid on the wakesurf board with you like I've seen in pix. We'll be out this summer with my nieces/nephews who are aged 6-9, weigh 40-65#, and I'd like to get an idea on how to surf with them to teach them.

I can easily get up on wakesurf board, but am curious on how to get up with another person on the board. All the kids are coordinated (gymnastics), but none have waterskiied or wakeboarded yet.

Questions:
1. In the water before starting, do you have them just put their feet on the board while basically sitting on your lap while waiting in for the boat to start?

2. Where do they hold onto you during the transition from water to standing up? Do you have them hold backwards around your legs?

3. I have a board rated to 240#, so our combined weight will probably be at limit if not over....so is it safe to hold onto rope with 2 people on board?

4. We have 24ve and just put a ballast system w/Enzo bags so I should have enough wavepower to get us going.

5. Any other tricks/suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

1. Yes. that is what I have done with my 4 year old. I rest my feet on the board while my daughter is in my lap. Once the line is tight she puts her feet on the board as well (once its close enough for her feet to reach).

2. Yes around the legs, see attached picture.

3. Yes its safe. I just tell my daughter not to touch the rope and to only hold on to my legs. Im about 200 and my daughter was about 40 pounds so I was over the limit on that board size I was riding.

4. Not sure. Sounds like its enough.

My daughter likes it when I carve on the wake or when we drop in from the top to the bottom. I usually just hold on to the rope and never let go. We both have a blast but it will certainly wear you out with that extra weight. Good luck!

[wakerider3989]

Pretty much everything else that was said...Personally I have the lil one hold on to the handle and lean back against me with their feet on the board. Being goofy, i then hold on to the rope with my right hand and I rap my left arm around the front of them. Just be sure you are 100% positive you can get up with the child no matter what. it could be a bad experience for the kid otherwise and may scare them away from trying it again.

[River Runner]

Between your legs, heals on the board, and they do just like you do when getting up.

Mine like to hold onto the rope. Sometimes they will let go and hold onto my legs.

This is an OLD picture(my 9 year old was 4 at the time):